KR20080098234A - Plasma generator - Google Patents

Abstract

The plasma generating apparatus includes a lower plate structure including a plasma generating unit, an upper plate structure disposed below the plasma generating unit, and providing a plasma chamber and joined up and down, and a plurality of source gas injection holes. The upper plate structure and the lower plate structure provide a source gas supply. A blocking portion that provides a source gas moving space for one of the upper and lower plate structures, and provides a plurality of induction pipes penetrating up and down to block a gap between the other one of the upper and lower plate structures and the induction pipe, Reaction gas supply unit for supplying the reaction gas to the plasma generating unit, and source gas supply unit for supplying the source gas to the source gas moving space in the shower head.

Description

Plasma Generator {APPARATUS FOR GENERATING PLASMA}

1 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a conventional plasma generator.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view for describing a relationship between the induction pipe and the lower plate structure of FIG. 1.

3 is a cross-sectional view of the plasma generating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a portion of the shower head of FIG. 3;

5 is a cross-sectional view of a plasma generating apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a cross-sectional view of a plasma generating apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

<Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

100: plasma generator 110: plasma generator

120: support part 130: reaction gas supply part

140: source gas supply part 150: shower head

160: top plate structure 162: induction pipe

170: lower plate structure 178: barrier wall

The present invention relates to a plasma generating apparatus, and more particularly, to a plasma generating apparatus capable of generating a plasma uniformly for surface treatment and thin film formation.

1 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a conventional plasma generating apparatus, Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view for explaining the relationship between the induction pipe and the lower plate structure of FIG.

1 and 2, a conventional plasma generator includes a plasma generator 10, a reaction gas supply unit 30, a source gas supply unit 40, and a shower head 50. 20) is mounted on. A plasma chamber for forming plasma is provided between the plasma generator 10 and the shower head 50, and the plasma formed in the plasma chamber is shower head through a plurality of reaction gas injection holes 63 formed in the shower head 50. 50 can be moved to the bottom. As the plasma by the reaction gas passes through the shower head 50, the plasma is converted into a state such as ions or radicals, and the ions or radicals of the converted reaction gas are lowered at the lower end of the induction pipe 62 of the shower head 50. Can be sprayed on.

The lower portion of the shower head 50 is provided with a processing space, and the processing space may be positioned to perform plasma processing such as thin film formation and cleaning. The plasma generating device and the processing space are generally maintained in a vacuum state, and the object to be processed may be mounted on a heater (not shown).

Referring back to FIG. 1, the plasma generating unit 10 includes an upper plasma plate 12 and a lower plasma plate 14, and the reaction gas supply unit may be formed by the upper plasma plate 12 and the lower plasma plate 14. An oil pipe of 30 and an oil pipe of the source gas supply part 40 may be formed. The reaction gas supplied through the reaction gas supply unit 30 is converted into a plasma state while passing through the plasma generation electrode 18 mounted on the bottom of the plasma generation unit 10, and a plurality of holes are provided in the plasma generation electrode 18. Can be formed to effectively pass the reaction gas.

In the conventional plasma generator, the shower head 50 is formed by the upper plate structure 60 and the lower plate structure 70, and the induction pipe 62 defining the reaction gas injection hole 63 is formed in the upper plate structure 60. The lower plate structure 70 is provided with a source gas injection port 74 for source gas injection. The reaction gas ions or radicals passing through the reaction gas injection port 63 may react with the source gas passing through the source gas injection port 74, and a thin film or the like may be formed on the object to be processed by the reaction.

However, as shown in FIG. 2, in the shower head 50, a minute gap G may exist between the induction pipe 62 and the lower plate structure 70, and the source gas flows out through the gap G. On the contrary, the reaction gas may flow into the shower head 50. When the source gas flows out through the gap G, the source gas may start reacting with the reaction gas at the lower end of the induction pipe 50, and the reaction may be completed before reaching the workpiece. In addition, when the reaction gas flows through the gap G, the reaction may occur in the shower head 50 again.

As a result, in the conventional plasma generator, the source gas or the reaction gas may be excessively consumed, and the quality of the formed thin film may be significantly reduced.

The present invention provides a plasma generating apparatus that can be used effectively in the treatment of a workpiece without the source gas supplied through the shower head reacting with the reaction gas in advance.

The present invention provides a plasma generator that can control the injection hole between the source gas and the reaction gas to enable efficient mixing between the source gas and the reaction gas.

The present invention provides several methods that can effectively block the line reaction between the source gas and the reaction gas.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the plasma generating apparatus includes a plasma generating unit, a shower head, a blocking unit, a reaction gas supply unit and a source gas supply unit. The shower head may be positioned below the plasma generator to provide a plasma chamber together with the plasma generator. The shower head includes an upper plate structure and a lower plate structure, and the upper plate structure and the lower plate structure are joined up and down to supply a source gas. Provide source gas movement space. In particular, one of the upper plate structure and the lower plate structure may include a plurality of guide tubes, the blocking portion may block the gap between the guide tube and the other plate structure.

That is, the induction pipe may generally be formed in the upper plate structure, and the blocking portion may be formed integrally with the lower plate structure or separately formed to block a gap between the through hole of the lower plate structure and the induction pipe, otherwise the induction pipe may be the lower plate structure. The blocking portion may be integrally formed with the upper plate structure or separately formed to block a gap between the through hole of the upper plate structure and the guide tube.

As described above, the blocking portion may be formed integrally with the upper plate structure or the lower plate structure, and may be mounted separately to the induction pipe and the like. As a result, it is possible to prevent the source gas or the reactive gas from reacting in advance in an unintended region other than the upper surface of the workpiece.

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the plasma generating apparatus is provided with a plasma generating unit, a top plate structure including a plurality of induction pipes which are disposed below the plasma generating unit to provide a plasma chamber and formed downward; A lower plate structure including a plurality of source gas injection ports, the upper plate structure and the lower plate structure provide a source gas moving space for source gas supply, and the lower plate structure includes a shower head including a barrier wall surrounding an outer surface of the induction pipe; Reaction gas supply unit for supplying the reaction gas to the plasma generating unit, and source gas supply unit for supplying the source gas to the source gas moving space in the shower head.

An induction pipe is formed on the upper plate structure, and a blocking wall is formed on the lower plate structure to block the linear reaction between the source gas and the reaction gas while covering the outer surface of the induction pipe. The barrier wall is formed integrally with the bottom plate structure to facilitate assembly and separation, and the height of the source gas injection hole and the height of the reaction gas can be adjusted very easily by adjusting the height of the barrier wall.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited or limited by the embodiments. For reference, in the present description, the same numbers refer to substantially the same elements, and may be described by quoting the contents described in other drawings under the above rules, and the contents repeated or deemed apparent to those skilled in the art may be omitted.

3 is a cross-sectional view of a plasma generating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a portion of the shower head of Figure 3 cut away.

3 and 4, the plasma generator 100 includes a plasma generator 110, a shower head 150, a blocking wall 178, a reaction gas supply unit 130, and a source gas supply unit 140. do. The shower head 150 and the plasma generator 110 are mounted on the supporter 120, and the supporter 120 provides an empty hole in the center thereof, so that the plasma generated by the plasma generator 110 may provide an empty hole. Can be delivered to the workpiece.

The plasma generator 110 includes an upper plasma plate 112, a lower plasma plate 114, and a space plate 116. The upper plasma plate 112 and the lower plasma plate 114 are mounted up and down, and holes or grooves are formed in the upper plasma plate 112 and the lower plasma plate 114 so that the reaction gas supply unit 130 and the source gas supply unit ( A gas flow path of 140 may be formed.

The plasma generating unit 110 includes a plasma generating electrode 118, and the plasma generating electrode 118 is mounted on the bottom surface of the lower plasma plate 114. The reaction gas is supplied from the reaction gas supply unit 130 onto the plasma generation electrode 118, and a plurality of holes are formed in the plasma generation electrode 118 to allow the reaction gas to pass through the plasma chamber. The plasma generating unit 110 may generate plasma according to an inductive coupled plasma (ICP) or capacitive coupling plasma (CCP) scheme, and an RF power source or the like may be applied to the plasma generating electrode 118.

A space plate 116 is provided at a bottom of the lower plasma plate 114, and the space plate 116 is spaced apart from the lower plasma plate 114 and the shower head 150 by a predetermined interval to provide a chamber for plasma generation. can do. In addition, the space plate 116 may be used as an insulating member for electrically separating the plasma generator 110 and the shower head 150. To this end, the space plate 116 may itself be formed using an insulating material or may have an insulating property by forming an insulating coating on an outer surface thereof.

As illustrated, a gas flow path as the source gas supply unit 140 may be formed in the space plate 116, and the source gas supply unit 140 may be connected to the periphery of the shower head 150 through the space plate 116. have.

The shower head 150 includes an upper plate structure 160 and a lower plate structure 170. The upper plate structure 160 is formed in a disk or other plate shape and includes a guide tube 162 protruding downward. The induction pipe 162 is formed to penetrate up and down to provide a reaction gas injection hole 163. The plasma may be delivered to the lower portion of the shower head 150 through the reaction gas injection hole 163, and the plasma may be converted into an ionic or radical state in the process of being delivered. The lower plate structure 170 is mounted on the lower portion of the upper plate structure 160 and includes a lower plate through hole 172 and a source gas injection hole 174 corresponding to the induction pipe 162. The lower end of the induction pipe 162 may be exposed to the lower portion of the shower head 150 through the lower plate through hole 172, and the source gas injection hole 174 may be around the lower plate through hole 172, that is, the induction pipe 162. It is formed in the vicinity of the source gas can be injected.

In particular, the blocking wall 178 is formed upwardly around the lower plate through hole 172. The blocking wall 178 is formed in a cylindrical shape corresponding to the shape of the induction pipe 162, and the inner surface of the blocking wall 178 is formed to have substantially the same or finer size to contact the outer surface of the induction pipe 162. The source gas moving space is more completely blocked from the outside by the blocking wall 178, and gas can be prevented from entering and leaving by a gap between the guide pipe 162 and the lower plate through hole 172.

As shown, when source gas is supplied into the shower head 150 by the source gas supply unit 140, the source gas may be injected through the source gas injection hole 174 formed at the bottom of the lower plate structure 170. The injected source gas can form a thin film or the like on the workpiece with the reaction gas ions. The source gas injection hole 174 is formed between the lower plate through hole 172 or the blocking wall 178, and the number and size of the source gas injection hole 174 may be variously selected according to the designer's intention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the source gas supply unit 140 may be connected at equal intervals along the outside of the shower head 150, and may supply the source gas from the outside. The source gas supplied from the source gas supply unit 140 is supplied into the shower head 150 through the outside of the upper plate structure 160, and the source gas supplied from the surroundings temporarily stays in the source gas moving space and then source gas injection holes ( 174 is injected into the lower plate structure 170 below.

5 is a cross-sectional view of a plasma generating apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the plasma generator 200 includes a plasma generator 210, a shower head 250, a blocking wall 278, a reaction gas supply unit 230, and a source gas supply unit 240. The shower head 250 and the plasma generator 210 are mounted on the supporter 220, and the supporter 220 provides an empty hole at the center thereof, so that the plasma generated by the plasma generator 210 is empty. It can be delivered to the processed object through.

The plasma generator 210 includes an upper plasma plate 212, a lower plasma plate 214, and a space plate 216, and the upper plasma plate 212 and the lower plasma plate 214 are mounted up and down. Holes or grooves are formed in the upper plasma plate 212 and the lower plasma plate 214 to form gas flow paths of the reaction gas supply unit 230 and the source gas supply unit 240. The plasma generator 210 includes a plasma generator electrode 218 and a space plate 216.

The shower head 250 includes an upper plate structure 260 and a lower plate structure 270. The upper plate structure 260 is formed in a disk or other plate shape, and includes a guide tube 262 protruding downward. The induction pipe 262 is formed to penetrate up and down to provide a reaction gas injection hole 263. The plasma may be delivered to the lower portion of the shower head 250 through the reaction gas injection hole 263, and in the process, the plasma may be converted into an ionic or radical state. The lower plate structure 270 is mounted below the upper plate structure 260 and includes a lower plate through hole 272 and a source gas injection hole 274 corresponding to the induction pipe 262. The lower end of the induction pipe 262 may be exposed to the lower portion of the shower head 250 through the lower plate through hole 272, and the source gas injection hole 274 may surround the lower plate through hole 272, that is, the induction pipe 262. It is formed in the vicinity of the source gas can be injected.

In particular, a blocking wall 278 is formed upwardly around the lower plate through hole 272. The blocking wall 278 is formed in a cylindrical shape corresponding to the shape of the induction pipe 162, and the inner surface of the blocking wall 178 is formed to have substantially the same or finer size to contact the outer surface of the induction pipe 162. First of all, the barrier wall 278 is formed longer than the induction pipe 262, so that the source gas injection hole 274 is located at a lower position than the lower end of the induction pipe 262. This means that the barrier wall 278 is not limited to being simply used to block the source gas moving space from the outside, and may be used to adjust the position of the source gas injection hole. In any case, the blocking wall 278 basically prevents the reaction gas ions or radicals injected through the reaction gas injection hole 263 from entering the shower head 250, and the reaction gas and the source gas are not intended. It can be prevented from reacting in advance.

6 is a cross-sectional view of a plasma generating apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, the plasma generator 300 includes a plasma generator 310, a shower head 350, a blocking ring 378, a reaction gas supply unit 330, and a source gas supply unit 340. The shower head 350 and the plasma generating unit 310 are mounted on the supporting unit 320, and the supporting unit 320 provides a central empty hole so that the plasma generated by the plasma generating unit 310 may store the empty hole. Can be delivered to the workpiece.

The plasma generator 310 includes an upper plasma plate 312, a lower plasma plate 314, a space plate 316, and a plasma generating electrode 318, and the upper plasma plate 312 and the lower plasma plate 314. Is mounted up and down. Holes or grooves are formed in the upper plasma plate 312 and the lower plasma plate 314 to form gas flow paths of the reaction gas supply unit 330 and the source gas supply unit 340, and the plasma generating electrode 318 is the reaction gas. Can be supplied to form a plasma.

The shower head 350 includes an upper plate structure 360 and a lower plate structure 370. The upper plate structure 360 is formed in a disk or other plate shape, and includes a guide tube 362 protruding downward. The induction pipe 362 is formed in a shape that penetrates up and down to provide a reaction gas injection hole 363. The plasma may be delivered to the lower portion of the shower head 350 through the reaction gas injection hole 363, and the plasma may be converted into an ionic or radical state in the process of being delivered. The lower plate structure 370 is mounted below the upper plate structure 360 and includes a lower plate through hole and a source gas injection hole 374 corresponding to the induction pipe 362. The lower end of the induction pipe 362 may be exposed to the lower portion of the shower head 350 through the lower plate through hole, and the source gas injection hole 374 may be formed around the lower plate through hole, that is, around the induction pipe 362. Can be sprayed.

In particular, a blocking ring 378 is provided around the guide tube 362 adjacent to the lower plate through hole. The blocking ring 378 is preferably formed of a material that does not react with the reaction gas and the source gas, and is mounted on an outer surface of the induction pipe 362 to prevent the reaction gas ions or radicals from flowing into the shower head 350. The source gas may be prevented from flowing out between the induction pipe 362 and the through hole gap. That is, the blocking ring 378 can prevent the reaction gas and the source gas from reacting in advance in an unintended region. In addition, the blocking portion may be used in various forms, even if not in the form of a ring, and may function as a blocking portion even with a protrusion formed integrally with the induction pipe.

The plasma generating apparatus of the present invention allows the source gas and the reactant gas supplied through the shower head to react with each other only on the object to be treated, and prevents the reaction from occurring in an unintended area, that is, the outlet of the induction pipe or the inside of the shower head. can do. As a result, it is possible to prevent the source gas from being consumed insignificantly and to improve the quality of the plasma treatment.

In addition, the plasma generating apparatus of the present invention can adjust the height of the injection hole between the source gas and the reaction gas by adjusting the height of the blocking structure, and as a result, find the optimum conditions for efficiently using and reacting the source gas and the reaction gas. There is a number.

As described above, although described with reference to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, those skilled in the art various modifications and variations of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention described in the claims below I can understand that you can.

Claims (10)

A plasma generator; Located below the plasma generating unit to provide a plasma chamber with the plasma generating unit, and includes a lower plate structure including a top plate structure and a plurality of source gas injection holes bonded up and down, the top plate structure and the bottom plate structure is a source A shower head providing a source gas moving space for supplying gas, wherein one of the upper plate structure and the lower plate structure provides a plurality of induction pipes penetrating up and down; A blocking unit for blocking a gap between the other of the upper plate structure and the lower plate structure and the induction pipe; A reaction gas supply unit supplying a reaction gas to the plasma generation unit; And And a source gas supply unit supplying a source gas to the source gas moving space in the shower head. The method of claim 1, The plasma generation unit includes a plasma generation electrode mounted below, the plasma generation electrode includes a plurality of holes, and the reaction gas supply unit supplies a reaction gas to the upper portion of the plasma generation electrode. Device. The method of claim 1, The blocking unit is characterized in that the plasma generating apparatus is provided in a state of being integral with or separate from the other of the upper plate structure and the lower plate structure. The method of claim 1, The other one of the upper plate structure and the lower plate structure includes a through hole for exposing the induction pipe, and the blocking portion is mounted separately around the induction pipe to block a gap between the induction pipe and the through hole. Plasma generating device. The method of claim 1, The other one of the upper plate structure and the lower plate structure includes a through-hole for exposing the induction pipe, the blocking portion is formed integrally with the periphery of the through-hole is characterized in that it comprises a blocking wall surrounding the periphery of the induction pipe Plasma generating device. The method of claim 5, The blocking wall is plasma generating device, characterized in that formed shorter or longer than the induction pipe. A plasma generator; Located above the plasma generating unit to provide a plasma chamber with the plasma generating unit, and includes a top plate structure including a plurality of induction pipe formed downward and a bottom plate structure including a plurality of source gas injection port, the top plate The structure and the lower plate structure provides a source gas moving space for source gas supply, the lower plate structure includes a shower head including a barrier wall surrounding the outer surface of the induction pipe; A reaction gas supply unit supplying a reaction gas to the plasma generation unit; And And a source gas supply unit supplying a source gas to the source gas moving space in the shower head. The method of claim 7, wherein The plasma generation unit includes a plasma generation electrode mounted below, the plasma generation electrode includes a plurality of holes, and the reaction gas supply unit supplies a reaction gas to the upper portion of the plasma generation electrode. Device. The method of claim 7, wherein The barrier wall is characterized in that the plasma generator is formed longer than the length of the induction pipe. The method of claim 7, wherein The blocking wall is plasma generating device, characterized in that formed shorter or the same as the length of the induction pipe.

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